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Or Geillie Duncan) Is Highly Significant to the History of the Jew's Harp

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Or Geillie Duncan) Is Highly Significant to the History of the Jew's Harp Geillis Duncane and the Sampson Gang The vicious circle The extraordinary and tragic story of Geillis Duncane (or Geillie Duncan) is highly significant to the history of the Jew's harp. A witch trial described in the 'Newes from Scotland' of 1591 has two short paragraphs: At which time she (Agnes Sampson) confessed, that this Guilles Duncane did goe before them playing this reill or daunce vpon a small Trump, called a Iewes Trump, vntil they entred into the Kerk of north Barrick. These confessions made the King in a wonderful admiration, and sent for ye said Geillis Duncane, who vpon the like Trump did playe the said daunce before the Kings Maijestie, who in respect of the strangeness of these matters, tooke great delight to bee present at their examinations. [1] Their importance is two-fold. Firstly, in the links of the words 'Trump' and 'Jew's trump'. When combined with a Customs import document of 1481 that describes ‘Jue Harpes’ and ‘Jue Trumpes’, they represent a key link in Jew's harp etymology, allowing us to trace other literary references. Secondly, Geillis is the first named British player of the instrument we can definitely identify, and, of course, that she played for a king, even though this was under extreme circumstances. Who was she, and what were those circumstances that led her acquiring the notoriety that would eventually lead to her death? Officially she was a witch, part of a coven or covey intent on, at the very least, undermining the authority of the King, preferably causing his demise. Geillis was the first one caught, tortured into confession, exposing the rest of the coven, was convicted of witchcraft and eventually executed. Examination of the trial transcripts, and studying three published works on the whole affair [3], reveals a more complex story either of an elder woman thought only capable of simple tasks or of a girl probably gifted as a healer, and being trained as such by a well known wise-woman, Agnes or Annie Sampson. I tend towards the latter as she was used as one would expect from an apprentice – as a runner or messenger; sometimes excluded from important conversations, but generally encouraged to be involved in the rituals devised by senior members. She could also play the Jew's harp. Whether this was part of her duties or a specific talent utilised by the coven, we do not know, but she was sufficiently proficient to impress King James VI. The majority of the events took place between Edinburgh and North Berwick, while the main characters in the terrible actions that surround Geillis bring together national and local figures. To one side there is Agnes Sampson. She is the leader of the group and not averse to using her powers for good or ill. The 'clerk' or regional organiser was John Fian. Sampson and Fian seem to be the main contact of a known sorcerer, Richard Graham. He had introduced Agnes Sampson to the King's cousin, Francis, 5th earl of Bothwell, who saw himself as a potential ruler of Scotland if the King died childless. Reputed to be a devil worshipper, intent upon the throne, he was prepared to use any method to achieve his aim, short of murdering the King himself. To the other side of Geillis was her master and employer, David Seton of Trenent, related to the powerful Catholic Seton family of Seton Hall, near the coast of the Firth of Forth. It was his suspicion of Geillis' unusual behaviour that exposes the coven and eventually lead to the plots made against the King, who attends the examination of the accused in which Bothwell is implicated. Wives to witches The historical facts are relatively straightforward. James was born on the 19th June 1566, the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley. Mary's abdication in his favour a year later after the murder of Darnley and her scandalous remarriage to James, 4th earl of Bothwell, placed the infant James in the care of rival factions seeking the reformation, or not of the church. Francis Bothwell was three years older than the King, the illegitimate son of King James V's illegitimate son (also James) and Lady Jean Hepburn, sister of the 4th earl of Bothwell. James recognised Francis as 5th earl of Bothwell and as his heir on 29th July 1576 which meant that Francis, or his offspring were, therefore, in line to become King if James VI remained without children himself. While James showed more interest in the young men of court there does not appear to have been any particular problem, but he was conscious of his duty to produce an heir, particularly as the throne of a combined Scotland and England beckoned. Negotiations with a number of European houses eventually resulted in his marriage by proxy to Anne of Denmark on 20th August, 1589. Francis, meanwhile, had joined forces with a Catholic uprising and been declared a traitor, though he had his sentence suspended. James seems reluctant, either for political or family reasons, to enforce more stringent reprisals on his cousin. Anne's attempt to reach Scotland was thwarted by severe storms and contrary winds and she was forced to make for Norway. After another abortive attempt Anne gave up for the winter and James decided to fetch her, leaving the government to the fifteen year old duke of Lennox as president of the council and Bothwell as his deputy in the King's absence. Reaching Oslo against contrary winds at the end of October, and after marrying Anne in person, their attempts to get back to Scotland are also stopped by bad weather and the decision was made to stay in Denmark until April of 1590. The Danish admiral of the fleet put the difficult conditions down to the influence of witchcraft, and eventually a number of 'witches' are executed in Copenhagen for the crime of raising storms. James and Anne eventually reach Leith, after yet another rough journey, on May 1st 1590. Sometime in November, 1590, Geillis Duncane was suspected of witchcraft and implicated Agnes Sampson. The story of the coven's attempts to conjure up storms and various other potential attacks on the King and Queen eventually reached James, who by this point had gained some insight into the threat of witchcraft. Whether this has anything to do with his extended stay in Norway and Copenhagen, where serious purges were already underway, or that he had already begun to study it for himself (he was an intelligent man and very studious) we do not know, but he chose, against the advice of his courtiers, to be at the examinations. Agnes Sampson confessed to him personally at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Geillis, as we know, was commanded to play the Jew's harp in his presence. Bothwell was implicated by several of the witches (although later retracted by them), tried, and acquitted of witchcraft. He made several attempts to take the King the king captive by force, before going into exile in 1595. When Queen Elizabeth of England died in 1603, James became the first Stewart on the united thrones of Scotland, England and Wales. Bothwell died penniless in Nice sometime before 1614. Newes from Scotland (Roxborough) –anon (1591) Geillis Duncane's tale Geillis' story is much more difficult to pin down. Confessions taken under torture are, to say the least, unreliable and much of what we know has to be considered in the context of superstition, religious bias and, quite simply, people seeing what they wanted to see. The story has been pieced together using twenty-six transcribed documents, six of which have Geillis' own words as written down by her examiners, along with the confessions and trial of Agnes Sampson and others, again under torture. All the events associated with Geillis appear to happen between a period just before September 1589 and December 1590. There is no indication of her age, but all the clues point to a headstrong young woman or girl. Firstly, she is described in 'Newes from Scotland' a maidservant working for the Deputy Bailiff of Trenant, David Seton, who had only recently noted, much to his astonishment, her skill as a healer. [4] Secondly, Geillis only confessed to one act of witchcraft, the bewitching of laird of Balnaird's hat, and her accusers did not seem too concerned about finding others, only who she could name. Thirdly, she was often sidelined by her seniors in the coven, used as a runner and she states that she knew nothing of what the gang was up to but was only obeying 'him' (presumably the devil) who commanded her. [5] Given all that, while this could apply to an older woman, I believe she is likely to be a young woman in her early/mid-teens. Headstrong teenagers dabbling in perceived dubious activities ars not unusual. Locations mentioned in the Trial of Agnes Sampson Agnes Sampson's role is pivotal in understanding where Geillis fits into events, particularly as Agnes had been recognised as a wise woman for many years. Her trial lists fifty-two indictments, of which she is found guilty on all but one. Two-thirds appear to be what might be described as local GP work, with a consistent midwifery role. Her 'patch' was from Treprain near Dunbar in the East to Liberton, near Edinburgh, in the West; North Berwick in the North to Newton near Keith in the South. Her cures were a mixture of sound advice and what was perceived as witchcraft, or at least her power of unauthorised prayer.
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